Humidor.



J. J. DEEMING.

HUMIDOR. I APPLIGATIOIi FILED, NOV. 16(1908.

Patented a1". 1, 19W.

ihlis i h'iimw NTTED STATES PATENT JOHN J'. DEEMING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE HALF T0 HERBERT DEEMING', OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HUMIDOR.

UMLGSQ.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 16, 1908. Serial No. 462,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. DEEMING, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Humidors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to humidors for use in keeping cigars, cigarettes, tobacco, etc., in suitably moistened condition.

The object of my invention is the provi sion of a humidor for this general purpose, which will be convenient to open and close, and which may be readily replenished with water when the interior thereof becomes dry; to provide a humidor which is of a portable nature, which can be locked up to protect the contents thereof, and which may at the same time be replenished with water without unlocking the same; to provide a humidor of such character that it will not be necessary to disturb the moistening apparatus when it is desired to obtain access to the cigars, cigarettes or tobacco, and in which the receptacle for containing the same is distinct and separate from the means by which the humidity of the interior is retained at the required degree; to provide a humidor in which the requisite degree of humidity will be insured, and in which the moisture will be permitted to circulate freely from beneath the cigars, cigarettes or tobacco to a point above the same, and to the sides thereof, thus insuring a uniform condition for the entire contents; to provide a humidor which may be easily and readily renovated or cleaned, after the same has been in use for some time, and which will at all times insure more sanitary conditions than heretofore; and to provide certain details and features of improvement and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and serviceability of a device of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends,

' my invention consists in matters hereinafter 'or casing, and showing the absorbent device or moisture containing member partially withdrawn from below the said drawer.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the said humidor. Fig. 3 is a cross section thereof.

As thus illustrated, the body of the humidor consists of a rectangular box or casing A made air tight all around, except at the forward end thereof, as illustrated. The said box or casing is preferably lined with a suitable sheet metal or other material a, and is provided at each side thereof with parallel longitudinally extending interior guides a, which latter have vertical passages a as shown more clearly in Fig. 8. The forward end of the said box or casing has an opening a and a lower and considerably smaller opening a, the former being of a size to admit the drawer B, and the latter being of a size to admit the absorbent strip or moisture containing member C, one being disposed above the other. The said drawer B is preferably composed of suitable sheet metal, and is provided with sides having apertures b. At its outer end the said drawer is provided with a look I) and a handle 6 whereby the drawer may be locked in place or withdrawn from the easing, as may be desired. It will be seen that the lower longitudinal corners of the drawer fit and slide upon the guides a, whereby the upper portions of the latter serve to space the sides of the drawer from the sides of the box or casing, and with this arrangement there is ample space all around the said drawer when the same is inserted in the box or casing. The absorbent strip or moisture containing member G is preferably provided with an outer transverse head or strip 0 adapted to fit the opening a, and is provided also with a handle 0 for its insertion and withdrawal. The interior portion of the said strip or moisture containing mel her is composed of a base or support 0 of sheet metal, which latter is curled or folded over at its longitudinal edges, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. Upon this base or sheet of metal there is laid a strip of absorbent material 0 which may be a piece of blotting paper or other similar moisture absorbing material. Upon the said strip of absorbent material 0 there is disposed a sheet of wire gauze 0 whereby the upper surface of said absorbent strip is practically exposed throughout its upper surface to the air within the interior of the box or casing. The three superimposed layers are held in place by the curled edges 0 of the sheet Patented Mar. 1, 1%10.

as illustrated. lVith this arrangement, the moisture contained in the said absorbent strip will be given off within the interior of the box or casing, and the air will be retained at the required degree of humidity, the moisture laden air being free to circulate upwardly and through the sides of the drawer, in the manner indicated by the ar rows in Fig. 3. The cigars, cigarettes or tobacco can remain locked in the drawer B, and the opening and closing of this drawer does not disturb the moistening apparatus. The moisture containing member can be withdrawn and plunged into water, when the humidor needs replenishing with water, and the same then returned to the space or cavity below the drawer B, without the necessity of disturbing the latter. Whenever the same is found to be necessary or desirable, the strip or moisture containing device can be removed and thoroughly dried out, or even placed in an oven, thus renovating and cleaning the latter for the purpose of maintaining at all times a strictly sanitary condition. The moisture'will be given off as required, and the cigars, cigarettes or tobacco will be maintained in the desired condition, in a humidor which is compact and ortable, simple and economical to manuacture.

It will be seen that the area of the moisture containing member is practically coextensive with the area of the receptacle for the cigars, and that consequently the moisture is distributed uniformly and evenly throughout the contents of the receptacle, by reason of the upward flow of moisture laden air at the sides of the receptacle and through the perforations thereof, and over the upper edges of the said sides to the cigars at the top. All of the cigars are, therefore, directly above some portion of the moisture containing element or member, and the imperforate bottom of the said receptacle prevents the lowermost cigars from absorbing too large a quantity of the moisture, causing the moisture laden air to rise at the sides of the receptacle and distribute itself evenly and uniformly through the perforations thereof, and over the top of the cigars, as explained.

The strips D extend lengthwise of the box, on the bottom thereof, and serve as guides for the side edges of the moistener. This moistener, it will be seen, is preferably narrower than the drawer or receptacle, thus causing the moistened air to flow sidewise before starting upward. This arrangement, I find, keeps the cigars or tobacco nicely moistened without danger of getting wet, or of becoming some more or less dry.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a humidor, a perforated drawer for the cigars, cigarettes or tobacco or the like, a casing for the drawer, and a moisture containing member removably disposed below the drawer, the bottom of the drawer being imperforate, and the said drawer and moisture containing member being both separately removable from the front of the said casing.

2. In a humidor, a removable and unitary moisture containing member therefor consisting of an absorbent sheet of material, a sheet of wire gauze disposed upon the same, a strip of sheet metal below the said materiahmeans for retaining the three sheets in superimposed condition, by folding over the edges of the sheet metal, whereby the nunstener consists of a thin flat remomble member, and means for sustaining the cigars above but out of contact with said gauze.

3. In a humidor, a drawer for the cigars, cigarettes or tobacco or the like, said drawer being provided with perforated side walls and an open top, and a casing for inclosing said drawer, said casing constructed to permit a circulation of the air from below the drawer upwardly at each side thereof, and inwardly through the perforated sides of the same, the bottom of the drawer being imperforate as set forth.

4t. In a humidor, a receptacle for the cigars, cigarettes, tobacco or the like, and a flat moisture containing member disposed below the same, together with a casing for inclosing both the receptacle and moisture containing member, said casing having means for allowing the moisture to ascend from below the drawer at each side thereof, and to the top of the same, the bottom of the drawer being imperforate.

5. In a humidor, an air tight casing, a. lining therefor of sheet metal, longitudinal. guides within thesame, said guides having vertical passages, a drawer adapted to slide on said guides, said drawer provided with means for closing the front of the casing, and a moisture containing member disposed below the said drawer, also provided with means for closing the front of the casing, as set forth.

6. The improved humidor, the same provided with an inclosed moistener which is removable without making the cigars accessible, and an imperforate support above said moistener as set forth.

7. In a humidor, a rectangular box closed all around except at one end, guides in the box, a perforated drawer insertible in the topen end of the box, movable 011 said guides, spaced thereby from the sides of the box, and a moistener also insertible in the open end of the box, disposed fiatwise below the imperforate bottom of said drawer.

8. In a humidor, a box, a perforated drawer insertible in one end of said box, and a thin flat moistener insertible immediately below the bottom of the drawer, with space at each side thereof, the drawer and moistener being each removable independently of the other, the drawer being wider than the moistener, but the two being substantially the same in len th.

9. In a humidor, a box, guldes in the box, said guides having circulation passages, a drawer slidable on said guides having perforated sides, held away from the box there by, and a nioistener having space at each side thereof, disposed in position to permit moisture to pass through said passages to gain access through the perforated sides of the drawer to the contents thereof.

10. In a humidor, a box, a drawer having perforated sides and imperforate ends and bottom, guides on which the drawer slides in the box, with space around the box, and a flat moistener removably inserted below the bottom of the drawer.

11. In a humidor, a flat moistener removable horizontally and edgewise, without exposing the contents of the humidor, said moistener containing a flat sheet of absorbent material, and the humidor having vertical air spaces parallel with but some distance outside the lateral edges of said moistener.

12. In a humidor, a moistener removable without exposing or disturbing the contents of the humidor, and an ilnperforate sup porting plate disposed immediately above said moistener, with space at each side of said plate for the upward passage of the moistened air.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 28th day of October 1908.

JOHN J. DEEMING.

WVitnesses:

CLARENCE E. TAYLOR, E. Grace. 

